1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an optical illuminator system, and in particular, to a distribution management and method for delivering optical power to a plurality of optical data devices.
2. Background of the Invention
Optical power management systems typically require the use of at least one optical power source (e.g., a CW laser, pulsed laser, laser diode, light emitting diode, etc.) for recording, retrieving and manipulating data. Small, relatively low power, low cost solid-state laser diodes with modest optical coherence are the predominant source of optical illumination in existing optical data storage systems. However, the need for shorter wavelength sources to enable greater data storage densities, the need for more powerful sources to enable increased data transfer rates, and the need for sources with longer coherence lengths for holographic data storage and other coherent applications, give rise to the problem of accommodating physically larger, higher power dissipating sources within the limited form factor of an optical device. Further compounding the problem are budgetary constraints that place a limit on the optical source cost per optical data device and the need for a highly reliable source.
Lower power, lower quality sources (i.e., sources with higher relative intensity noise, lower coherence length, higher wavelength drift, higher temperature sensitivity, limited wavelength tunability, etc.) limit the performance of optical storage drives and other optical data devices that use optical illumination (e.g., optical data replicators, fast optical search devices, etc.). This performance limitation is a consequence of the trade-off between the total energy required to achieve a desired physical and/or chemical effect while manipulating (e.g., recording, retrieving, processing or copying) data over a given illuminated area, and the time it takes to deliver the required energy. As such, this performance limitation represents a limitation on the optical data device parameters, including data density, capacity, transfer rates, search rates, error rates, integrity, reliability and lifetime.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a system and method for efficiently utilizing a superior laser source despite its larger physical size, increased power and/or cooling demands and greater cost. It would be even more advantageous if such a system and method were capable of automatically detecting and correcting for optical power defects and failures, and optimizing the lifetime of laser sources—all with minimum user intervention. Finally, such a system and method could provide optical power on demand, boosting the performance of optical data devices that received higher performance priority.